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Case Reports
. 2009 Dec 14;15(46):5864-6.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5864.

Is iron overload in alcohol-related cirrhosis mediated by hepcidin?

Tariq Iqbal  1 , Azzam Diab, Douglas G Ward, Matthew J Brookes, Chris Tselepis, Jim Murray, Elwyn Elias
Affiliations
Case Reports

Is iron overload in alcohol-related cirrhosis mediated by hepcidin?

Tariq Iqbal et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

In this case report we describe the relationship between ferritin levels and hepcidin in a patient with alcohol-related spur cell anemia who underwent liver transplantation. We demonstrate a reciprocal relationship between serum or urinary hepcidin and serum ferritin, which indicates that inadequate hepcidin production by the diseased liver is associated with elevated serum ferritin. The ferritin level falls with increasing hepcidin production after transplantation. Neither inflammatory indices (IL6) nor erythropoietin appear to be related to hepcidin expression in this case. We suggest that inappropriately low hepcidin production by the cirrhotic liver may contribute substantially to elevated tissue iron stores in cirrhosis and speculate that hepcidin replacement in these patients may be of therapeutic benefit in the future.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Variation in iron parameters with time.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between urinary and serum ferritin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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